Site to raise awareness for Charcot Marie Tooth. Discuss my quest to run the Boston Marathon while having CMT. Talk about training and doing marathons, half marathons, triathalons and duathalons. Discuss being an athlete with a disability.

Follow by Email

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

"Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don't wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom." -Earl Shoaf

It was a long season that started in February with an indoor triathlon in Verona Wisconsin. It would end with a duathlon in Fort Worth Texas.

I raced the Long Course Duathlon National Championship on November 14th at the Texas Motor Speedway. I knew the distances of a 10 K run, 26 mile bike and 5 k run would be a challenge. I thought it would be good experience as I looked to tackle longer distances next year.

I also have family, a brother and sister-in-law in the Dallas area, the race was a good excuse for a visit. I would have a rare cheering section. A race is always a good excuse for a visit.

It was cool at race time with temperature in the high 40's. My concern was the wind, with predictions in the 20 mph range.

I was also concerned about how my ankles would hold up for the running since I had fought tendinitis all year.

The race went fairly well. The first run was two loops outside of the track. I am really not a big fan of multiple loops, but I got to see my family multiple times.

The real challenge was the bike course. It was five loops on the road that circles the speedway grounds. Not very scenic and really really windy. I had the worst bike leg of all the women in my age group. I was not using my racing bike. Earlier in the year I had purchased a mid level road bike to use for travel races. I had upgraded to FLO racing wheels and this was it's first test. This may not have been a great test due to the wind. I finished at 15.2 mph, quite a bit under the 18. 1 mph I did in a road race in August.

The second run was tough after the bike ride, but it was just a 5K and was quickly over.
3 hr 17 overall,
10K 1 hr 42:43
5 k 31:42

The most interesting thing about the event is what happened after the race. The event was scored as two events; an age group event for the National Championship and as a local race called Bronda's Duatlhon. The Bronda's portion had special awards for Master ( 40+), Grand Master (50+), Athena, and Physically Challenged Open. I raced PC Open for this race. I notified the race director months in advance of my presence. I started with the age group athletes and did not ask for any accommodation. I presented my para triathlon license at packet pick up.

When the awards were given out, the awards for the Bronda's Du were given out first. All of the winners got nice plaques. There was no PC Open award. I went to the race director during a break and told him of the omission. Someone was sent off and I was given a medal that looked like it was from another event. Minor flaw, but I took it without complaint and it was a nice medal.

I stayed as all the age group winners were given their National Championship jerseys. I went home knowing that I had secured a spot on the U.S. team for the World Championship. The top 18 are selected and I finished 7th out of 8 women in my age group.

The real problem started when the race director sent out a follow-up email with the results. I was not listed anywhere in the results and I wanted to see my splits.

I email the race director three times and still no results. I emailed the timing company twice and still no race results. Now I was getting concerned because invites would be going out for the U.S team and I was going to miss my change. I was polite and respectful with every e-mail.

I emailed the manager of the U.S. team and no response. So finally I emailed the USAT para triathlon manager Amanda Duke Boulet. She got results within and day and I am finally listed in the results.

I contacted Amanda because I suspect they had doubts about my PC status. It has happened to me before, I had worse treatment at the New York Triathlon.

Instead of asking me about it and maybe learning a bit about an invisible impairment, they left me off of the results. I get that my impairment is not obvious, but I did send an email before the race explaining about my CMT.

Hopefully the race director learned a little bit. I am slow compared to all the other racers, but maybe I won by educating a race director about CMT and that all impairments are not visible.

In any case I have earned my second spot this year on Team USA. First for Aquathlon in September in Cozumel and for Long Course Duathlon in North Carolina. The date for that is yet to be announced.

It was good to end 2015 on a high note. I am looking forward to good things in 2016!

*******

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 1756 members in 31 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France and Iran. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Want to improve your athletic performance without working out more, then get this book by Jim Afremow. I almost did not want to review this book since it has so much solid and practical advise for improving the mental side of athletic performance.

Every chapter is backed by research and he includes exercises to practice every performance tip.

I first became aware of this book when I read an article in Self magazine about pro golfer Michelle Wie. She talks about how the principles in this book have helped her game.

Some of the topics covered include:

Self talk

Self confidence

Focus

Breath control to calm down or pump up

Dealing with anxiety

Positive affirmations

Champion leader

Pure-race and post race routines

Dealing with mental errors

Focus on what you can control

I read this book at the beginning of my triathlon season this year. I have been able to bounce back much better after a bad race than I have in the past. One of the things I worked with on my coach in the last year was focusing on the things I could control.

One of the things my coach does is pre race planning and post race analysis. After every race she has taught me to ask three questions that Afremow also discusses in this book:

What did I do that was good?

What needs to get better?

What changes should I make to become my best?

The goal is always to learn from experience, not repeat mistakes, visualize success and improve performance.

Afremow states his goals for any athlete using the skills outlined are to:

Train with passion and purpose

Achieve victory through variety in training exercises

Believe they are worth the time it takes to exercise

Find support and encouragement

Break work into manageable pieces

Keep an exercise workout calendar

Treat themselves like a champion

There is a mental toughness quiz to assess strengths and weakness. Then you can decide which of the strategies will be your top priority.

The book is well worth the time of any athlete looking to improve performance.

****************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 1756 members in 31 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France and Iran. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Thursday, November 26, 2015

" A bad attitude is like a flat tire, unless you change it you aren't going anywhere."- Denzel Washington

Aquahtlon National Championship, 2015

I did not have much time to think about the bad race I had in Chicago, on October 4th I particpated in the Aquathlon National Championship in El Reno, Oklahoma. I would be competing as an age group athlete with another chance to make Team USA and a slot at the World Champsionship in Cozumel.

This is the second year the race was in El Reno, Last year they set the record for the largest Aquathlon ever contested on US soil.

I flew into Dallas to meet up with my brother. It was great to have him for the drive and for the race. I usually don't have anyone cheering for me. He is always up for a local adventure. I had read about a local diner called Sid's. Their onion burger made a yahoo list of top burgers in the US. This was a local spot with four tables and six seats at the counter. The service was fast and friendly. The food was awesom.

Sid's Onion Burger

For a national championship event, it is pretty low key. Pretty much like any local race. THe nice thing is you are assigned a rack position by gender and age group. After doing this race last year and the race in Chicago I have made several friends. It was fun to see them and talk about going to the World Championship in Cozumel.

Here is a map of the lake where the 1600 meter swim would take place. Open water swims of this distance are now a piece of cake.

A 10 K run was next and it was fun to see my brother on the course taking pictures. It was two loops of a really flat course. I wish I was faster. I used to be able to cover this distance so much faster when I was running marathons.

The entire race went really well. It was a really different experience from Chicago. I finished first in the Phyically Challenged Open division and qualified for Team USA and a slot in the World Championship race in Cozumel Mexico in September. Thanks to the folks in El Reno, here is just some of the race swag I picked up from this race.

*************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 1756 members in 31 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France and Iran. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Put oil in the bottom of a stock pot. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook until soft.
Add the soup, celery, mushroom, chicken breast and water chestnuts. Heat until just starting to boil, then turn down the heat so the mixture simmers. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the snow peas.

Serves 6

*************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 1756 members in 31 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France and Iran. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Saturday, November 21, 2015

This recipe may not look too appealing, but it tastes really good and it healthy. It is really easy because the oatmeal cooks overnight in a crock pot. Start it before you go to bed and you will have breakfast waiting in the morning. I did not add any sugar to this recipe. You could use a little agave or honey if you want more sweetness.

Grease the crock pot with grape seed oil. This will keep the oatmeal from sticking. Add the rest of the ingredients. Set crock pot to low and allow to cook overnight or about 8 hours.

The oatmeal will be thick, use a little coconut milk or milk to thin to taste. This re-heats very well in the microwave.

Serves 6

***********************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 1756 members in 31 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France and Iran. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

"No matter what the day dishes out to you-no matter what life dishes out to you- you can always put one foot in front of the other, and you keep going and you cross the finish line."

-Chris McDonnell, triathlete whose daughter Grace was one of the students killed by the Sandy Hook shooter.

The World Championship for ITU was held in Chicago this year and I was able to compete as a member of Team USA for Aquathlon. This race was the kick off race for age group, elite and para triathlon World Championships.

In addition to those races the ITU scheduled a series of open races for age group and para-triathletes on Saturday of race week. These were not World Championship races, but a chance to race on the same course with ITU rules which meant drafting on the bike course was legal.

There were two races for para triathletes, an ITU and a USAT race. Since I did not make the minimum impairment standards at classification, I would have to race the PC Open race under USAT rules. I had represented the USA on Wednesday and in this race I would be representing Team CMT.

Rival and CMT athlete Donna DeWyck would be in the ITU race. Donna is a classified athlete in PT4. There were three athletes. All she had to do was finish to be on the podium. We spoke briefly and I wished her good luck in her race.

I was in the open category with athletes of all abilities including wheel chair athletes. These athletes can be really fast. When I raced the Boston Marathon the winning wheelchair athlete finished the race almost 45 minutes faster than the men's winner. If I had a good day and a good race, a podium finish was possible for me.

Lot's of athletes like to socialize in transition. I like to get away from all the activity to relax. I walked up to the swim start to relax and try to stay warm. It was in the low 50's with a Lake Michigan water temperature of 53 F

There was a small and empty tent pitched near the start and I ducked in there to get out of the wind and try and stay warm. There was a New Zealander doing the men's Olympic triathlon and a visually impaired athlete Elizabeth from Tennessee that I had met at the New York marathon. We chatted away and it was time for her wave to start.

The ITU para-triathlon wave was the first to start. Then there was a 5 minute break for the start of my wave. Usually you get a chance to get in the water and do a bit of a swim warm up. We were told to get in and the starter whistle went off immediately.

I was not very far into the race when I started to have some shortness of breath. That sometimes happens but it usually settles down. Instead it got worse. I just could not breath. For the first time ever in a triathlon I had to stop and hang onto a kayak. As I breathed out I was making a high pitched sound. I was not sure what was happening. I started swimming again and again I could not breath. I called a fire rescue boat and hung on. Again I was unsure what was wrong, but I later pieced together that I was having a full blown asthma attack and that high pitched noise when I exhaled was wheezing. The cold water must have triggered my asthma. I was not getting enough oxygen to process well.

I continued to try and swim, I stopped a few more times and asked the rescue boat to follow me.
The fire fighters encouraged me to go on and looking back, they probably should have pulled me out of the race.

I made it to the dock and had to be lifted out of the water. I was able to walk to transition and saw USAT para triathlon Manager Amanda Duke Boulet cheering us on. I shouted hello and that I was having a bad race.

When I got to transition I had to sit down and rest. I still was having trouble breathing. One of the other teams handlers asked if I wanted my picture taken and said yes. I look terrible to be quite honest.

I got on my bike for the bike course, still having trouble breathing, but I got through it.
Then it was on to the 5K run. I had to stop several times and was doubled over to catch my breath.
I saw a few friends in the huge crowds of spectators. I passed CMT athlete Donna D slowly walking on the course.

I struggled but I made it finally to the finish line. The time of 2hr 12 was horrible for me. My asthma attack pushed me off the podium. I was disappointed because I was primed to have a really good race and this was not the race I wanted to have. Still I finished with a smile on my face.
Even though I was disappointed I did not have much time to dwell on it. I had a National Championship race for Aquathlon in just a few weeks. So I had to shake it off to get ready for the next race. I felt a little bit like I let down the CMT community, but it took guts to tough it out.
In the scheme of things I don't my performance in a race really maters much.

******************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 1756 members in 31 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France and Iran. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Add tomato juice and roasted tomatoes to blender. Blend
until smooth. Set aside.

Add butter to bottom of
Dutch oven. Once the butter is
melted, add onions and cook until onions begin to soften. Add flour. Add the tomato juice mixture, half and half
and the crab. Heat through. Add the paprika. Add salt and pepper to
taste. Garnish with grated Swiss cheese
or croutons.

Makes 6 servings

* To roast tomatoes, line a jelly roll plan with foil. Coat pan with olive oil. Add tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Set oven to 350 F. Once pre-heated bake
tomatoes until the skin wrinkles. This will take about an hour. Remove and
cool.

***********

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 175 members in 31 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland,
Canada, Vietnam, Turkey,
Finland, Scotland, France
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Saturday, November 7, 2015

"Remember happiness does not depend on who you are or what you have; it depends solely on what you think." -Dale Carnegie

I qualified for Team USA and competed as an age group athlete in the Aquathlon on September 16, 2015. The race was a 750 K swim and a 5 K run.

It was a sunny 85 F perfect day for the race and everything went really well. Although I finished well back in my age group, I did my very best, had a great race and a lot of fun.
The race was not the only important event I had that day.

I asked to be placed on the start list for the ITU para-triathlon race on Saturday. The World Championship races ended on Friday. Saturday was a day of age group and open racing for those that did not qualify for the World Championships.

No surprise that I made the start list. The elite race for para was held on Friday and was part of qualification for the paralymics in Rio in 2016. I had not make the start list for the only other ITU race in the United States held in Detroit in August. The ITU races are a point series, so it is almost impossible to get on the start list unless you are an elite athlete with lots of race points.

The category I qualify for PT4 also includes single leg amputees. There is no way someone with a neuro-muscular condition with impairment in all four limbs can compete. Those on the road to Rio are taking the available slots.

I asked to be on the start list because I wanted to go through the ITU medical assessment. I did not qualify last year in Chicago. Because I was turned down by the ITU I could not go through any USA triathlon assessment. Because I not classified I cannot compete at the US para-triathlon championship.

I was told because I was turned down by the ITU I had to finish the process with the ITU.
I was also told by the Para triathlon program manager, that if I failed this assessment in Chicago I was done. You can only be seen twice.

My classification appointment was on Wednesday at 5 pm. The appointment was the last in the day to accommodate my competition in the World Championship race.

I knew what to expect, since I have been through two USAT assessments and one by ITU assessors.

If you have ever been through a physical therapy assessment when injured, it is the same assessment for strength. At this assessment the assessors did a through assessment and used real strength when assessing me.

They gave me a 5 out of 5 for strength. This assessment is subjective. I did present evidence of a PT that gave me a 4 out of 5 on each of the categories. An assessment of 4's would have got me in.

They watched film taken of my cycling from last years assessment and watched me run.

They sent me out of the room for quite some time. When they called me back in they told me they took their time because they knew this was my last change and they wanted to be fair and through.

I did not meet the minimum standard. One nice thing that they said is I definitely have a condition that qualifies me, I just do not meet the minimum impairment. It seems unfair, since being an amputee is an in. There is no measure of strength. The presence of my CMT is not enough, even through I can provide proof of my condition with genetic tests. I can prove damage and loss of function with medical tests.

I felt good that they acknowledged my CMT. At USAT assessments I have felt like I was trying to scam the system.

The ITU assessors and I had a really nice discussion. One of the things I asked was they consider adding back the separate neuro category and changing the standards to allow athletes like myself to compete. Right now an athlete like myself can meet the time standard to qualify for the US national championship, but I am not "impaired" enough. The problem is I cannot compete against age group athletes due to my CMT. So I am caught in between both worlds. Those with CMT that have gotten in cannot make the time standard to compete at the US Championship.

The assessors took data and I hope by presenting myself and making the case for CMT athletes, we can affect changes.

I am not not eligible to be assessed again by the ITU. I can only go through assessment if the system changes or if my condition changes. I am not eligible to compete, except in Physically Challenged (PC) Open divisions.

I was not really upset. It was the outcome I expected. I had already realized there would be no 2016 Paralympics chance because of the way the system is now set up. I was hoping to compete as a para at World Championships.

I still have PC Open at all USAT sanctioned events and I still have age group events. I am good enough as an age group athlete to still qualify for Team USA.

In the past I had been devastated by being rejected at classification. I've learned over the last year to only worry about things I can control. I've learned to focus on the positive in any situation instead of the negative.

I would be able to race on Saturday in the PC open division. Because I was not racing in the ITU race I would be able to wear my Team CMT uniform and raise some awareness along the course. The most important is I am still strong enough to compete in the sports I love. I plan to enjoy that as long as I can. My race in Chicago will not be my last apperance at a World Championship.

I will continue to raise to raise awareness and stay strong. I do want to thank Amanda Duke Boulet, the USAT program manager for being with me at the assessment. I also want to thank the ITU assessors for a fair, honest and through assessment. I felt respected as an athlete and listened to.
Maybe I will never get in, but I hope I paved the way for change for future CMT athletes.

Now I had a race to focus on. It would be my second race in a week, something I had never done before. I had represented my country in Aquathlon, now I would represent Team CMT in triathlon.

*************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 1756 members in 31 states. We also have members in Australia, England,Scotland, Canada,
Vietnam, Turkey, Finland,
Scotland, France and Iran. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

"Examine the labels you apply to yourself. Every label is a boundary or limit you will not let yourself cross." - Dwayne Dyer

My coach Heather Haviland of Peak Performance Professionals sent this e-mail out a few weeks ago to all of her athletes, including me. Heather is a former pro triathlete and her former coach and mentor had posted these tips on her facebook page.

I share them with you.

Smart athletes, and smart, consistently high performing athletes, know how to balance their training by following these simple rules:

1. Easy days means SUPER easy. They don't get caught up pushing harder when training with others on easy days.

2. They set themselves up well for quality or long endurance workout sessions by going in properly fueled (being mindful of choices the day/night before long or hard workouts to make sure muscle glycogen is full).

3. They get in recovery fuel within 20 min post hard or long workouts.

4. They look forward to the challenge of a workout or race versus sabotage them with thoughts of things that could go wrong or how much it could hurt. They THRIVE on challenge!

5. They have a good balance of training partners - including social workout buddies and workout partners that they can respectfully work together with during harder sessions.

6. They are SERIOUS about weekly restorative work sessions, such as long foam rolling, stretch sessions and dynamic warm-ups.

7. They don't completely deprive themselves of foods they enjoy as a treat, such as the occasional ice cream, cookie, glass of wine or a beer. Complete deprivation can feel like punishment. Rewards can be very satisfying in moderation.

8. They take hard knock race experiences as learning experiences and move on.

9. They take time off during the year to allow the body to heal, restore and re-juice their mental/spiritual energy. They don't feel guilty about it because they know the reasoning behind the break.

10. They set goals, have a plan of action to work to achieve those goals. They also know that the path can have roadblocks and learn to "roll" with occasional set-backs.

**********

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished 2nd
at Boston in
the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She
has qualified to represent Team USA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.

In 2014 she represented the U.S.
as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 175 members in 31 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland,
Canada, Vietnam, Turkey,
Finland, Scotland, France
and Iran.
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my
life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston
Marathon Bombing

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Christine Wodke, author of “Running for My Life, Winning for CMT,” has long dealt with a lack of public awareness for her disease, Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), which is a neurological disorder whose victims slowly lose sensation and control of their legs, feet, and hands. When Wodke first told her friends and family about her CMT – some of whom already had the disease themselves – most looked back at her blankly. Some didn’t know what the disease was, or how it required people to adjust their daily routines around CMT’s often frustrating limitations. And, sadly, some just didn’t seem to care. Wodke remembers hearing one statement repeated over and over: “You look fine.” This is a sentiment heard by the victims of similar “invisible diseases,” like lupus. People assume that if you look alright on the outside, then you must be healthy. But, with CMT that just isn’t the case. Yet, rather than resigning herself to a life spent battling CMT, Wodke has become obsessed with raising public awareness for her own disease and other neurological disorders. Wodke’s story carries great weight, because she has spent many years training for and competing in marathons and triathlons across the United States, the training made that much more difficult by the fatigue, soreness, and pain brought on by CMT. “Running for My Life” takes readers on a course that has plenty of ups (like Wodke’s many medals, awards, and media mentions) and downs, including conflict with family, facing public scrutiny and antipathy from government organizations, and struggling to balance dating and her disease. But, as with any race, readers will reach the finish line feeling reinvigorated and inspired.

This book couldn’t have come to me at a better time. Anyone who has even a passing acquaintance with social media knows about the ALS ice bucket challenge, a recent cyber-fundraiser to raise awareness for the neuromuscular disease. And, unless you work in the medical profession or have a family member or friend affected by the disease, I’m guessing you hadn’t heard of ALS before a few weeks ago – I know I certainly hadn’t. But after learning about it, how could you not want to help raise money for everyone affected by the disease? Before, if a person with ALS had revealed their condition to a friend, they might expect complete bafflement. Now, however, they can expect encouragement and general awareness of the disease and its adverse effects. In a similar manner, Wodke’s book illuminates a challenge-filled world that many of us have never even had to think about. By reading “Running for My Life,” we are helping to raise empathy for anyone who is affected by CMT or a similar condition. And isn’t the act of reading a great deal more enticing than dumping water on your head